This Just In-spiration: Meet Dottie Boscamp

Blowing glass is no small feat, but Colorado-based creator Dottie Boscamp makes it look easy. Using traditional glassblowing techniques, Dottie handcrafts elegant, colorful goods with a unique flair, among them her Speckled Glass Olive Oil Dispenser and Rainbow Candy Dish Bowl, both items new to our assortment. Between the need to blow, shape, color, and properly cool each piece, Dottie’s glassworks require true mastery—and yet they appear almost effortlessly delicate.

Here at UncommonGoods, we like to welcome our newest makers with a quick peek into their day-to-day lives and creative histories. Read on to learn a bit more about Dottie, including her exclusive POV on what music’s best to blow glass to.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

In 9th grade I started taking photography class. As soon as I saw the image appear on the paper in the darkroom, I was hooked! I loved creating something that wasn’t there before.

What was the most exciting thing about becoming a professional artist?

I think the most exciting thing is imagining a new piece of art, making it successfully, and then having customers like it enough to purchase it.

What does your typical day in the studio look like?

A typical day in my shop starts with cleaning and setting up the glass color for the day’s production. Then the big decision is what music to listen to! It has to be music that I don’t have to pay attention to the words, and has a good beat. James Brown and the Gipsy Kings are good ones to blow glass to. A glass blower also must have many cold beverages to drink and a plethora of fans to keep the body temperature cool. Finally, the first piece I make is going to be a warm up piece to get my brain ready for the day’s work.

Is there a trinket, talisman, or other inspirational object you keep near? If so, what is it and what does it mean to you?

My most inspirational object in my shop is my dog Ozzie. As soon as I heard that the bank was going to lend me the money to start a glass shop twelve years ago, I went to the humane society and bought Ozzie. He is the only other employee of my company and is in charge of motivation and relaxation.

Imagine you just showed your work to a kindergartner for the first time. What do you think they would say?

Usually children say, “You made that? How did you make it?” Pictures are very helpful to show kids how glass is formed.

What quote or mantra keeps you motivated?

Hadley is a Brooklyn-based connoisseur of candy, hot sauce, and Japanese dog Instagrams (seriously, ask her about her favorite shiba inus). For reasons unknown, she derives great joy from Windexing the many glass surfaces in her apartment. If she had to pick one thing to eat for the rest of her life, it would be fresh, homemade bibimbap with extra sauce—but she'd want you to know how hard it was to choose.

The Goods is more than a place to see our products. We’re here to tell the stories behind and beyond what we sell. When you visit our blog, you’ll meet artists, discover uncommon knowledge, immerse yourself in creative design, and get to know the people who keep UncommonGoods going strong.